Syracuse police: Five handguns seized in three days

Syracuse, NY -- City police have seized five illegal handguns, including a .50-caliber pistol taken from an 18-year-old Tuesday in the Hawley-Green neighborhood, in unrelated incidents since Saturday.

Five males, from 16 to 24 years old, have been charged with at least one felony each in relation to the guns, Sgt. Tom Connellan said. Connellan and Syracuse police records detail the incidents:

• Officer Jeremy Decker stopped about 11:50 p.m. Tuesday on Wayne Street to talk with two males, one of whom he recognized as Jamar D. Burton, 18. Burton was wanted for questioning in a Dec. 27 burglary and shooting on Pond Street and was thought to possess a weapon.

After Decker reached the men, Burton took off running east on Wayne Street. Decker caught Burton in a parking lot at 716 James St. While he was handcuffing Burton, Decker felt a hard bulge at Burton’s left side.

Decker took a .50-caliber, Israel Military Industries handgun from Burton. The hammer on the gun was cocked and ready to be fired and the gun was loaded with three rounds. Burton, who didn’t provide police an address, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, a felony.

Burton also was charged with felony robbery, burglary, assault, criminal use of a firearm and reckless endangerment, all felonies, related to the Dec. 27 shooting on Pond Street.

• The string of seizures began Saturday night when Jauqwell J. Flagg, 17, of 501 W. Brighton Ave., was charged with felony criminal possession of a weapon after a brief foot chase, police records state.

When Officer Charles Fassinger arrived in the 300 block of Webster Avenue to investigate a suspicious person, Flagg ran away holding what appeared to be a handgun, police said. Flagg threw the gun into a yard in the 100 block of West Brighton Avenue before surrendering to police, records state. Police found a 9 mm Jennings Arms pistol in the yard and Flagg was charged with felony criminal possession of a handgun.

• A Ruger .357-caliber Magnum handgun was taken from a Henninger High School sophomore on Monday, police said.

Sean Robinson, 16, of 304½ Pleasant Ave., was charged criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property, both felonies, and loitering, a violation.

About 4 p.m., Robinson and another youth were warned not to loiter in front of a store in the 2600 block of Midland Avenue. When the officer returned minutes later, both youths were still in front of the store. Officers found the loaded revolver in Robinson’s front pocket. On checking the gun’s serial number, police discovered the gun was taken in a March 2006 burglary on Fitch Street.

• About 10 p.m. Monday, police near Kirk Park heard shots and a radio broadcast of two suspects running from the scene, Connellan said. After spotting one of the suspects, officers chased and caught Rashawn Odom, 24, of 318 Valley Drive, under a porch in the 500 block of West Colvin Street.

A scuff mark under the porch revealed the hiding place of a loaded .38-caliber handgun. Odom, who admitted having the gun while he ran, was charged with felony criminal possession of a weapon.

• On Tuesday afternoon, police officers investigating a report of a man with a weapon saw Mikey Calderon, 22, of 516 Otisco St., run into an Otisco Street home after he saw police on the street, according to reports. Officers knew Calderon did not live at the Otisco Street home and were given permission by the legal resident to search the residence, police said.

Police recovered a GMF Co. .22-caliber revolver with four live rounds of ammunition and two spent rounds hidden under laundry in the house. Calderon was charged felony criminal possession of a weapon.